Reel and take-off apparatus



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. CLIFFORD, OF'SIVISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

REEL AND TAKE-OFF APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,114, dated October28, 1890.

Application filed December 2, 1889. Serial No. 332,177. (No InodelSwissvale,in thelcounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented or discovered a certaln new and useful Improvement in AutomaticReel and Take-Off Apparatus, of

which improvement the following is a speci.- fcation.

In the accompanying drawings, which make part of this specification,Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through my entire apparatus,connected with a pair of finishing-rolls. Fig. 2 is a front end View ofthe back plate of the reel with its attached segmental plates upon whichthe rod is coiled. Fig. 3 is a side elevation ot' the reel and take-offswhen the reel is in the position shown in the dotted lines of Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a half of the reel, showing thetake-offs entered within the radial slots of said reel.

The purposes ot my invention, generally stated, are to substituteautomatic devices for manual labor in coiling rods in a wire-mill;second, to so coil the rods and in such laps that the rod will not kinkor knot when unwound; third, to insure that the last length of wire asit comes from the rolls will be properly coiled and not stick in thepipe described below, and, finally, to remove the coil of wireexpeditiously by machinery from the reel to make way for the secondcoil.

1n Fig. 1, 1 1 are the usual finishing-rolls for wire-rod mills, set inthe usual housings 2 upon the mill-floor 3. 4 is the usual guide fromthe rolls, supported by the bracket 5, bolted to the housings 2. Viththese parts my invention has nothing directly to do.

6 is a solid hollow shaft rotating in housings 7 7, bolted to themill-Hoor. Its rotation is eected by the pulley 8, speeded from therolls. The internal diameter of the hollow shaft 6 is such as to easilyaccommodate the passage of rods of any desired diameter. By means of thecoupling 10, the hollow shaft 11, preferably in the form of a reversecurve, is rigidly attached to the shaft 6 and partakes of its motion.Bolted by a suitable bracket 12 to the mill-floor is a conical ring 13.Against the back of said ring 13 13 abuts the rear plate 14 of the reel,supported upon the piston-rod 15 bolted thereto. The construction of theplate 14 is bestseen in Fig. 2. EX- tending from its circumferenceinwardly are any desired number of radial slots 16 16, here four. Boltedto the front face of said plate 14 are segmental plates 17 17, taperingoutwardly, which form the core upon which the rod is coiled. The boltsby which plates 17 17 are secured to plate 16 are preferably set inslots in said plate 16, so that the core may be contracted or enlarged,according to the diameter desired for the coil of wire. These segmentalplates 17 17 project into thepath of the rotating shaft 11 when the rodis being coiled. Suflicient space is left between the segmental plates17 17 and the ring 13 to accommodate the' bundle of wire. Take-offs 1818, adapted to enter the radial slots 16 16, are

rigidly secured to the ring 13 and the houssing 19. These take-offs aresimply arms of bent metal, as shown inthe several figures. Upon thehousing 19 is set the cylinder 20, the piston 21 of which may bereciprocated by means of a two-way Valve in the usual manner of suchvalves or in any other way desired. ring 13, also perform the functionof keeping the reel-plate 14 from twisting.

The operation of my devices will now be apparent. The rod, as it comesfrom the rolls and the guide 4, enters the rapidly-revolvin g tube 6 andpasses out through the revolving tube 11 whichby its rotation guides itaround the reel, where it is closely wrappedaround the segmentalplates171 7 on thefaceof the reel. When the last length of rod comes fromtherolls, even if it has lost the forwardmotion imparted by the rolls, itwill not stick in the pipe 6 or 11 on account of their rotation, butwill be eX- pelled and wrapped upon the reel, owing to the proximity ofthe reel and the nozzle. It will be noticed that the coils of the rodare so laid around and upon the reel without any twist by my inventionthat they willnotkink or knot when uncoiled. IVhen the reel is full,steam is applied, and the piston 21 is rapidly drawn back, retractin gthe reel to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The takeois 1818, meantime entering the radial slots 16 16, slide or pull the coil ofrod o the tapering segments 17 17, and the bundle may be rolled aside.The piston 21 is then advanced to its original position, bearing thercel to re- The take-offs 18 18, bolted to the IOO ceive a new coil. Itwill be noted that by my devices the rod is led from the rolls to thereel, wrapped thereon, and the full coil removed therefrom with nomanual labor beyond turning the valve, admitting the steam to thecylinder, and carrying away the coils after they have been released fromthe reel.

Having fully described my invention, I claim- 1. An improved reel forcoiling rods, consisting of the conical ring 13, the reel-plate 14,abutting against the back vof said ring 13, said reel-plate having theradial slots 16 16, and the segmental plates 17 17, in combination withtake-OES adapted to enter the radial slots of said reel-plate and stripoff the bundles of wire, all substantially as shown and described.

2. An improved reel for coiling rods, consisting of the conical ring,`13, the reel-plate 14, abutting against the back of said ring 13, saidreel-plate having,` radial slots 16 16, and a core to Wrap the Wirearound, in combination with take-OES 18 18 and a reciprocating piston,the rod of which is attached to said reel-plate, all substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of the cylinder, its piston, the reel-plate attachedto the rod of said piston, said reel-plate being slotted, as described,and having upon its front face a reel or drum, and the take-ods 18 18,all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. An improvement in the means for coi1- ing and taking' 0E rods, whichconsists in the combination of the hollow shaft 6 and a hollow shaft 11coupled thereto, all rotated with a reel consisting of the conical ring13, the reelplate 14,abutting against the back of said ring,` 13, saidreel-plate having the radial slots 16 16 and the segmental plates 17 17,the latter in the path of the revolution of the end of the shaft 11, thetake-offs 18 18, adapted to enter the radial slots 16 16 of the reel,and a piston adapted to reciprocate, the rod of which is attached to thereel-plate 14, all substantially as shown and described.

5. An improvement in the means for coiling and taking.r 0E rods, whichconsists in the combination of a reel consisting of the conical ring 13,the reel-plate 14, abutting against the back of said ring 13, saidreel-plate having the radial slots 16 16 and the segmental plates 17 17,the take-offs 18 18, adapted to enter the radial slots 16 16 of thereel, and a piston adapted to reciprocate, the rod of which is attachedto reel-plate 14, all substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES C. CLIFFORD.

lVitnesses:

WM. L. PIERCE, CHAS. M. JOHNSTON.

